TOKYO 10 Questions: An Interview with Marni Rice
We are thrilled to kick off the 2009 Tokyo Fringe Festival with an artist who is so delightfully “FRENCH” you would never know she was not a native speaker. She is Marni Rice, a highly accomplished chanteuse accordion player and vocalist with her amazing show, “De Joux Musique - “Songs of an Immigrant: Tales from Paris”. She is performing at the Tokyo Fringe Festival on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st May. So let’s catch a great tête-à-tête with Marni…
1. What inspired you to become an artist, performer, writer and musician?
I consider myself a chanteuse-accordionist & theatre artist, which is to say I create pieces to play on stage with all of those elements combined. I was surrounded by music as a kid, and loved old films. I would say Victoria Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin’s Daughter) most inspired me to create solo performance work combining disciplines.
2. What’s your show about and what should the public expect from your show at the 2009 Tokyo and Kyoto Fringe Festival?
A personal story about being a stranger in a strange land, and how people in adverse circumstances find common ground. Evocative and passionate songs from 1930’s Paris.
3. What was the last Fringe or Festival you performed at and what was it like?
Montreal Fringe Festival, June 2008. It was great to be in a bi-lingual city where shows are French or English, and sometimes both. It’s completely possible to do a show in both languages and have an audience that will get the jokes on both sides. It was a wonderful experience for me because as a result I created A bi-lingual script and premiered it in Montreal.
4. What are your funniest and worst experiences performing in front of an audience?
Some of these events are depicted in my show, because I like to expose the moments in life when “nothing is working” and you are trying your best. Failures. Mis-understandings and the like.
One of my worst experiences (at the time, although since has been one of my best experiences to have had) was when I was hired In a cabaret in Paris and although I could sing in French, I couldn’t speak very well and the owner insisted that I sing only one song and then “attempt” to speak French to the audience. I guess you could say that was also the funniest, in retrospect.
5. What’s the best and worst advice you have ever been given? And did you follow it?
Best Advice: “Create your own rules”. ( I have followed this). And Worst Advice: Do what I tell you, because I say so!! (Every time I followed this, I regretted it.)
What are you most proud of and what dreams or goals would you like to fulfill?
I’m most proud of creating my solo show and touring internationally. This year I’m taking the show to Japan where I have never been, and France to premiere the French adaptation for a French speaking audience. I have also been invited to attend a Theater conference in Africa, and my goal is to tour my show in the French speaking regions.
7. Which three famous people would you invite to dinner and why [dead celebrities included]? And what culinary dish would you prepare?
Culinary dish: Shumai – hundreds of them. (Japanese shrimp dumplings) which I really don’t know how to prepare, but it’s my all time favourite food.
James Dean – (Actor) to listen to the silence between his words. Maria Callas – (Opera Singer) to hear her stories of going through a war zone to learn to sing at the Conservatory. Joe Kennedy (father of J.F.K) to see what approach he had in educating his children to be leaders. Joseph Papp – (Creator and Founder of The Public Theater in New York.) To ask him how he created a socialist cultural institution in the heart of a capitalist society? Charlie Chaplain - (Film Maker/Actor) – To see what he had to say about finding the truth in a story.
8. What is the best book or books you have read and why?
Ancient theological books from various traditions. I’ll never be finished with them, there’s too much to understand.
9. Tell us 5 interesting and unknown facts about yourself?
I love hard core rock & roll, and raw self expression.
I always wanted to design shoes, because I can never find the kind I want.
I was born in New York City.
I cook a great Quiche.
I learned to play poker with my grandmother.
10. If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
Bring back the barter system to help restructure the world economy.
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For more information about Marni Rice, check out her website, De Joux Musicque, MySpace and MySpace Group.
